Butter-knife



(No Model.)

Patented May 31, 1892.

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THOMAS MILLER, OF TYRONE, PENNSYLVANIA.

BUTTER-KNIFE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 475,789, dated May 3 1, 1892. Application filed February 18, 1892. Serial No. 421,978. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LTHoMAs M1LLER,aciti zen of the United States, residing at Tyrone, in the county of Blair and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Butter-Knives; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to those knives used by dairymen and butter-dealers for cutting butter; and the object of the same is to produce an improved knife of this character.

To this end the invention consists in a knife constructed substantially as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and as illustrated on the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein- Figure l is a general perspective view of this improved knife, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same in the act of cuttingaroll of butter.

Referring to the said drawings, the letter Il designates the handle; B, the blade, having a cutting-edge E, and G a guard composing the main parts of this knife and all made of a single piece of hard wood. In size the device is preferably about thirteen inches in extreme length and three inches in extreme width, while the handle and blade are about one inch wide, as will appear from the scale indicated alongside Fig. 2. However, these dimensions may be altered somewhat without departing from the spirit of my invention. The lower edge of the blade and the curved front face of the guard are broad as distinguished from sharp and they are not adapted to do the cutting.

W is a fine spring-wire, preferably of steel plated with silver, about fifteen inches in length, and this wire is secured at one end to an eye I in the lower end of the guard, while its other end carries a small handle 7L.

K is a hook secured in the handlemnear the heel of the blade.

R designates the roll of butter cut into, as at C.

The operation of this device is as follows:

When it is desired to cut a roll of butter, the latter is laid on the tableor other iiat surface, the wire passed under it and bent back, so as to be passed into the hook K, the back of the blade is brought down onto the roll, and the face of the guard against the side thereof, and the operator, holding the handle H in one hand, draws on the handle h to cause the wire to cut through the roll, as indicated in Fig. 2. Another manner of using the knife would be to stand the butter roll on end, encircle it with the wire, and then draw the latter in the same manner. As the wire approaches the guard the loop it forms is reduced in size, and obviously the butter is cut, as seen at C, after which the blade may be used to push aside the severed piece or for the ordinary sampling and testing purposes, or the blade maybe turned over and its cuttingedge E used, as usual. If the butter is soft, the device will serve equally as well as if it were hard, and the fact that the wire is covered with silver prevents its corroding by the' action of the salt in the butter. I claim as an especial advantage the making of the bodyof wood,so that the knife cannot be used for other purposes, as to cut bacon-a very common practice in small stores where the bacon-knife is not at hand-and hence it is not soiled or rusted. It is well known that hard wood will remain clean and sweet, and is especially valuable for handling butter.

The device may be ornamented to some extent and varied in construction; but I prefer to make it as herein shown and described.

Vhat is claimed as new is- 1. The herein-described butter-knife, the same comprising a blade, a handle in alignment therewith and having a depending guard, the lower edge of the blade and the face of the guard being broad, a hook in the handle opposite the guard, and a spring silver-plated wire secured to the end. of the guard and passed removably through said hook, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The herein-described butter-knife, the same comprising a handle having a depending guard with a broad face, a blade in alignment with the handle and having a sharp upper edge, all these parts being of hard wood, In testimonywhereof Iaflx my sgnatureiu an eye in the lower end of Jthe guard, a hook presence of two Witnesses.

in the handle opposite the guard, a spriugi Wire secured to said eye and removably THOMAS MILLER' passed through said hook, and a small haudle on the end of the Wire, all as and for the purpose set forth.

W ituesses:

J. C. MILLER, JOHN K. BOTTORF.

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